Monday 28 November 2016

On Saturday, over 200 people attended the Unity Celebration, organised
by Bolton Trades Council and Unite Against Fascism, in opposition to a
protest by around 50 fascists from assorted groups.
Saturday’s protest was the continuation of a process of opposing the
fascists over a number of years in Bolton and across Britain, and
showed both the small, splintered state of Nazi groups in Britain
today, and the strategy of broad-based mass mobilisations, which
has been responsible for pushing the Nazis back.
The UAF/Trades Council mobilisation involved members of the local
Muslim, community, of all ages and genders, including local Imams, as
well as Bolton taxi drivers who went on strike in response to the
fascist protest.
Speeches at the anti-racist celebration reflected the broad support
behind the event: these included Martin McMulkin, Secretary of Bolton
Trades Council; former Bolton West Labour MP Julie Hilling; and
speakers from Bolton Green Party, UNISON, NUT, UAF,
Bolton Against Racism, Stand Up to Racism, and more.
Entertainment was also provided by local poets and the Bolton Socialist
Clarion Choir.
A minute’s applause was held in memory of Labour MP Jo Cox,
horrifically murdered by fascist Thomas Mair.
While the Trades Council/UAF event was mainly attended by people from
the Bolton community, the small fascist demo had to bring in Nazis from
across the country, including – in the week when the fascist BNP lost
their last ever Borough Councillor [the first time there has been no
BNP Councillors in Britain since 2002], former BNP North West
Organiser Mike Whitby, who stood with the sieg
heiling Nazis of National Action. Outrage has followed the open Nazism displayed on Saturday, http://metro.co.uk/2016/11/27/someone-needs-to-tell-this-man-with-a-nazi-tattoo-what-the-poppy-hes-wearing-actually-means-6286444/
Speakers on Saturday spoke about the
threat of Marine Le Pen and the FN in France’s 2017 Presidential
election, and how the situation in France contrasts with that in
Britain, where the United Front strategy of mass mobilisations has been successfully
employed.
In 2010, UAF and others opposed a thousands strong EDL demo in Victoria
square.
UAF, the Trades Council and others protested against the fascists in
Bolton again in 2012, in 2013, and on several occasions in 2014.
In Victoria Square on Saturday, the fascists were now there as a small
rump of open Nazis, with no base in the wider community.
As the UAF placards stated on the day – ‘Never Again! No to the
Nazis!’